Joseph e



(No Model.)

' J. R. H. HINTON.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. D

Patented Dec. Q

llllllll l mwmmm I m s 3 E k 3 g P h 3 N T 0 N NITED STATES LATENTFries.

JOSEPH R. H. HINTON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE CON- TINENTAL STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,302, dated December29, 1885.

Application filed November 12, 1885. Serial No. 182,530.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH R. H. HINTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, Maryland, haveinvented new and usefulImprovements in Store- Service Systems,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements instore-service systems, and particularly to that class in which thecarriage is received and restored through the medium of a single rope orcord, in contradistinction to what is known as the double-cord system.

My present invent-ion has for its object to provide a simple andefficient device for con- I 5 fining the carat the vertically-movableend of the track until the latterhas reached its proper and full heightand then automatically releasing the car, the effect of which operationinsures the proper momentum of the car by gravity to reach itsdestination when sent to the cashier; and with this end in view myinvention consists in providing the movable end of the track with arock-shaft arranged above the trap or receiver, said rock-shaft beingprovided at its front end with a hinged or swinging gate, and at itsrear end with an adjustable or fixed arm orlever adapted to be broughtin contact with any suitable operating stop, whereby the shaft is causedto rock for the purpose of swinging the gate laterally to permit theescape of the carriage when the track or way has been raised to itshighest altitude, as will be hereinafter and in detail explained.

In order that those skilledin the art to which 5 my invention appertainsto fully understand the same, I will proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring by letters to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure lis a top or plan view of a receiving 0 andrestoring portion of a store-service system embodying my invention, andFig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

In the figures illustrating my invention I have avoided many of thedetails at present in 5 use, for the purpose of avoiding confusion oflines and to render plain the special features of construction formingthe gist of my invention.

Similar letters indicate like parts in both figures of the drawings.

(No model.)

A represents the metal casting, to the front end of which the wire wayor track is connected, and to the rear end ofwhich is pivotallyconnected the usual slide, 13.

The operatingrope O is connected in the usual manner to adapt it to forma trap or receiver for the carriage D. This rope 0 passes over a pulley,E, arranged at the proper altitude on the fixed standard F, thence downand between a pair of pulleys, a I), mounted in the upper end of avertical post, G, secured near the rear end of the casting A.

At the front end of the casting A another post, H, is placed, the upperend of which is bent or arched, as shown at I, Fig. 1, so as to providea bearing immediately over the rail or way for a rock-shaft, J, the rearend of which is journaled at K in the top of the post G. Near the frontend of the rock-shaft is secured, as shown, or in any other suitablemanner, a swinging or gravity gate, L, and at or near the rear end ofthe rock-shaft is secured permanently or adj ustably an arm or lever,

M. adapted to be brought in contact with the under side of the frame orsupport of the pu1- ley E in such manner that it will cause the shaft Jto rock in its bearings, and thus swing the gate L bodily to one sidesufficiently to allow the car or carriage D to escape, the weight of thesaid gate being such as to bring it to its normal position across thepath of the carriage whenever the lever or arm M is not in contact withthe stop or pulley-casting.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the gate L is so hinged at Nas to form a rulerjoint connection with asuitable casting, O, by meansof which the gate is rigidly connected with the rock-shaft, the purposeof the rulerjoint connection being obviously in order that the gate mayswing on its hinge or pivot N under the impact force of the incoming carD, so that the latter may reach the trap or receiver, after which thegate L gravitates to the vertical and normal position across the path ofthe car to secure the same against cs cape while the receiving end ofthe track is being raised to its highest altitude, as previouslyreferred to.

It will readily be seen that by the employment. of the rock-shaft andgate the cord 0 may be practically used as receiver and restorer, andalso as a means for elevating the end of the track, and that by nopossibility can the car escape until the track has not only beenelevated to the proper height, but also until the rear end of the traphas been inclined to give the proper momentum to the car when released.

01' course many changes may be made in the details ofconstruction,havingin view economy of construction and adjustability of the several parts,Without departing from the spirit of my invention, the gist of whichrests in the broad idea of providing whatis known in the art as a onecord or rope system,with a gate adapted to swing upon a hinge or pivotto permit the entrance of the car to the trap and retain it there untilthe proper time for-its releaseinent by a bodily movement sidewise ofsaid gate.

It willof course be understood that although my invention is especiallydesigned for use in a one-cord system, it may be also employed 1 withadvantage in the double-cord system.

\Vhat I therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a storeservice system, the combination. with the movable end ofthe track upon or into and from which the carriage is propelled bygravity, of a swinging gate secured to a rock-shaft and adapted to beoperated for the confinement or releasement of the carriage,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The gate L, connected to the casting O by a ruler 'oint connection,as described, whereby it may swing to permit the car to enter the trapand maintain it against releasement, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the casting A, posts G H, rock-shaft J, gate L,arm M, rope G, and operating-stop E, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH R. H. HINTON.

,Vitnesses:

O. CARROLL GOLDSBOROUGH, LEE PUROELL.

